The Heartbeat of Cambridgeshire

Call Out Procedure

Each Community Responder Group will be issued with a mobile phone to enable them to respond on behalf of the East of England Ambulance Service.

When the Ambulance Service receives a 999 emergency call, the call is prioritised to establish if it is suitable to send a Responder to the call.

Once this has been established, the nearest available Responder group is notified via a telephone call to inform them of a call within their area.

An ambulance will always be mobilised to every call that the Responder group attends.

The responder will then travel to the scene of the incident under normal road conditions and once on scene treat the patient. Being in the local community, the average time to reach the patient should not normally exceed 3-4 minutes, depending on location.

Once the Ambulance arrives on scene, the Responder will hand over to the crew and may be asked to assist. After the case is complete and the patient is on their way to the hospital, the Responder is required to telephone Ambulance control to notify them that they are clear of the incident.

Responders do not have the authority to use audible or visual devices eg. additional lighting, fluorescent or illuminated signage on their vehicles. Responders are also required to adhere to all road traffic regulations.

As a Responder who will be utilising their own vehicle, you will be expected to notify your own vehicle insurance company that you are undertaking the role. Failure to do this may invalidate your insurance.

All paperwork, including letters for your vehicle Insurance Company are supplied as part of the application pack.